Science uses bacteria to make chocolate taste better

Gianpaolo Grazioli, a producer of Italian ice cream, commissioned four Otago University food science majors to incorporate live bacteria into chocolate in the hopes that it would create a new food.

The students are experimenting with adding the cheese bacteria and fungi (the one that creates blue veining) to chocolate to see if they can create a whole new, never seen before culinary product. During the experiment, the bacteria survived but didn’t grow because its moister level is too low (which is needed in order for bacteria to flourish).

In another the team combined blue cheese veining bacteria to chocolate which produced a pleasant result for blue cheese lovers. They freeze dried the blue veining, ground it to a powder and put that back into the chocolate which surprisingly created a unique, interesting and likable product. By combining the two molecularly in the lab and then adding them together in the commercial kitchen, blue cheese and chocolate are now a “match made in heaven”.

Although some of the experimental chocolate creations have potential on the market, there is still a lot that needs to be figured out before any of it can be actually sold.

A new type of chocolate that tastes good and is rich in probiotics

Gianpaolo Grazioli, a producer of Italian Ice-cream that specializes in hand-made boutique ice creams and sorbets was struck with a flash of genius! Since he experiments quite a bit with chocolate, he wanted to see what effect bacteria has on the flavor of chocolate. Eating foods rich in probiotics, such yoghurt or sauerkraut, has long been recognized as a way to support the body’s natural digestion and immune system.

However, he had a bigger picture in mind that went beyond the potential commercial value of selling chocolate that is “good for your tummy.” He verbally expressed his desire to create an original culinary experience when he stated, “We’re hoping to make something tasty with a unique texture – something new for the person trying it for the first time.”